Engine-starter



W. L. McGRATH.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27, I919.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

' UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. MOGRATH, F ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed March 27, 1919. Serial No. 285,568.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. MOGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, Chemung county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to an engine starter constructed and arranged to cooperate with and control the adjustment of any one or more of the several devices or instrumentalities, such as ignition or carbureter of an internal combustion engine, which device requires adjustment for the proper starting of the engine, particularly for the purpose of starting internal combustion engines. In the present instance my invention is embodied in an engine starter having a drive of the type known as the Eclipse-Bendix drive characterized by the employment of a screwthreaded shaft on which is screw-threaded a driving member such as a pinion adapted to mesh with and drive an engine member such as the fly wheel of the engine. This drive is adapted to automatically control the action of an engine device which is adjust able for the proper starting of the engine, whether it be the choker element of a carbureter, the impulse arm of a magneto, the spark control of the ignition system, or some other element of the engine, requiring adjustment at the time of starting the engine.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a drive embodying my invention; F ig. 2 a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a detail view more or less diagrammatic of the connections between the drive and the impulse control arm on the magneto; Fig. 4 a detail view of the connection with a spark control lever. Fig. 5 a detail view of the connection with a carburetor, and Fig. 6 a modified form of operating connection.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention as herein shown, the rotatable driving shaft 1 is suitably mounted at its opposite ends in bearings 2 and 3 formed respectively in the casing-like bracket 4 and a bearing plate 5 secured at one end thereto. This shaft is provided at one end with a driving wheel or gear such as the sprocket wheel 6 in the event that the same is to be driven through the medium of asprocket cured to the driving shaft by the stud or pin 8, a driving spring 9 connecting between said driving head and the enlarged portion 10 of the screw shaft through the medium of the stud 11. This screw shaft is provided with a screw-threaded portion 12 on which is screw-threaded the pinion 13 adapted to mesh with'the teeth 14* of the fly wheel 14.. The shaft 1 is "provided near its outer end with a stop nut 15 against which the pinion abuts when in-full mesh with the fly wheel.

When the drive is hand operated it may not be necessary to employ the yielding driving spring 9 or to make any provision for the longitudinal yielding movement of the screw shaft as is provided in the present instance, and the drive could therefore be'simplified in. these respects if desired.

Owing to the necessarily slow rotation of the screw shaft when hand operated there is a tendency, under certain conditions, of the pinion rotating with the screw shaft instead of being advanced longitudinally therealong, and consequently I prefer to employ for hand cranking means for positively as suring such longitudinal movement of the pinion for meshing purposes. Such means consist of a spring-pressed plunger 16 mounted in the upper portion or wall of the bracket 4 and having an enlarged rounded lower end 16 projected into the plane of the pinion 13 and between the teeth thereof. As

shown this plunger is movable vertically l is communicated to the screw shaft through the heads 7 and 10 whereupon the pinion which is prevented from rotating by the plunger 16 will be screwed over or advanced longitudinally along the screw shaft and into mesh with the fly wheel. When the pinion has reached the stop nut and been arrested thereby it is in full mesh with the fly wheel and its righthand end has cleared the plunger 16. Continued rotation of the driving shaft will thereupon cause the rotation of the fly wheel. When the engine starts on its own power the pinion is automatically demeshed and returned to normal position. In any rotating movement of this pinion during the demeshing operation the plunger will not interfere therewith but owpinion.

ing to the rounded character of such plunger the latter will yield and permit such rotation of the pinion. This movement of the pinion is somewhat forcible and positive as compared with any tendency of its rotation when it should be advancing longitudinally in the initial portion of the cycle of operation, and the pressure or force of the plunger is sufiicient to prevent any such rotation at that time although adapted to yield readily against said positive rotating movement in the demeshing operation.

Referring to the automatic control (by the drive) of any of the engine devices referred to, the same consists in automatic means for positioning or setting the adjustment of such a device or devices when the pinion is in full mesh with the fly wheel. The particular control shown in Fig. 3 will first be described, the same having relation to the impulse control arm of a magneto. As shown, a yielding sleeve 20 is mounted toward the outer end of the screw shaft and is normally projected into the path of movement of the In the present instance and by preference this sleeve is mounted to slide upon the stop nut 15 and is yieldingly projected by means of a spring 21 although such spring is not necessary at this point but a spring otherwise located or a second spring hereinafter referred to may be sufficient for my purposes. This sleeve is pivoted to a lever 22 fulcrumed upon the bracket 4 at 23 and projecting downwardly through a slot 45" in such bracket. The lower end of this lever is pivotally connected at 24 with the sleeve 20 so that the movements of the latter are communicated to the lever. This lever is pivotally connected through any suitable rods and bell cranks with the impulse control arm 25 of the magneto 26, such connections being nrovided as the particular installation may demand. In Fig. 3 I have shown such connections in a rather diagrammatic way, it being understood that additional connections may be required accord ing to the location of the magneto in certain installations. In these connections it is desirable to have a yielding or non-positive member or connection such as-shown in Fig. 1 wherein there is shown a two-part cooperating connection 27, 28 with an interposed spring 29 so that the movement of the sleeve may be transmitted to the magneto in yieldin manner.

escribing the operation of the means for thus controlling the magneto, when the pinion ismoved longitudinally it will contact-the sleeve 20 and shift the same to the left, thereby oscillating the lever 22 in a clockwise direction and moving the operating rods 27 and 28 to the right. As a result, the control arm of the impulse coupling on the magneto is properly positioned for the starting of the engine which is now to take place. As soon as the engine starts on its own power the pinion is demeshed and the sleeve 20 is automatically restored to normal position and the control arm on the magneto is likewise restored.

In Fig. 4 .I have shown the connection with the magneto for advancing the spark, the rod or connection 28 being here connected to the timer 30.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the connection with the carbureter 31, the rod 28 being here connected to the arm 32 which-operates the usual throttle valve.

It may be desired, in order to insure con-- tinued running of the engine after initial starting, to hold the set adjustment for a predetermined time. To this end the operating connections between the drive and any one of the engine devices referred to may be provided with means for delaying the return of such devices from their adjusted position. In Fig. 6 is shown suitable means for this purpose, the same consisting of the operating rods 33 and 34; similar to rods 27 and 38 but connected by a dash-pot device comprising a cylinder 35 111 which reciprocates a piston head 36 in the end of rod 33. This rod when actuated by the sleeve 20 moves to the left against the tension of the spring 37 and draws in air at the right hand end of the cylinder through the port 38 and past ball check valve 39. On its return stroke piston head 36 forces the air out slowly through air port 38, the ball being held slightly off its seat by the adjustable screw 40 which thus regulates the rate of exhaust of the air. This provision is particularly useful in the connection with the impulse arm of the magneto where the'adjustment of such arm should be kept for the required number of engine revolutions so that the engine will be effectually started.

I claim:

1. In combination with an internal com bustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, an engine starter having an automatically movable member for effecting engagement with an engine part and automatically controlling the adjustment of said device.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a magneto provided with an adjustable impulse arm, an engine starter including a drive having an automatically movable member for effecting en-- gagement with an engine part and adapted to automatically adjust such arm to proper position for the starting of the engine,

3. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a movable member controlled in one direction of movement by such member, in combination with an internal combustion engine having adevice adjustable for proper starting of the engine, and operating connections between said movable member and said device.

4. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a movable member controlled in one direction of movement by such member, and yieldingly held in the opposite direction, in combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, and operating connections between said movable member and said device.

- 5. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof .and rotary movement therewith, a movable member controlled in one direction of movement by such member, and arranged in the path of longitudinal movement of the latter, in combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine and operating con-v nections between said movable member and said device.

6. An engine starter drive including a roproper starting thereof, and operating con-.

nection between said movable member and said device.

7. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve encircling said shaft and arranged in the path of movement of the pinion, a stop nut on the haft against which the pinion is adapted to abut, the sleeve being mounted on the nut to slide axially thereon and normally projected th'erebeyond in position to be contacted and moved by the pinion in its longitudinal movement, in combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, and operating connections between said sleeve and device,

8. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve encircling said shaft and arranged in the path of movement of the pinion, a stop nut on the shaft against which the pinion is adapted to abut, the sleeve being mounted on the nut to slide axially thereon and normally projected therebeyond in position to be contacted and moved by the pinion in its longitudinal movement, a bracket having a bearing for the shaft, a lever pivoted in the bracket and pivotally connected with the sleeve, in combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, and operating connections between aid sleeve and device.

9. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, an engine starter and an operating connection between said device and engine starter and actuated by the latter for controlling the adjustment of such device, said connection including means for holding such adjustment a predetermined length of time.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a device adjustable for proper starting of the engine, an engine starter and an operating connection between said device and engine starter and actuated by the latter for controlling the adjustment of such device, said connection including a dash-pot means for holding such adjustment a predetermined length of time.

WILLIAM L. MoGRATH. 

